Heritage RIR vs production RIR

[Chris09]

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Need a better picture but I don't think that bird is what the breeder clams it to be...

Chris

 

[A.T. Hagan]

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That is wishful thinking.

There is not one thing that makes those "Red" chickens that hatcheries are calling Rhode Island Reds a, true Rhode island Red little lone a Heritage Breed.

http://albc-usa.org/heritagechicken/definition.html

Hatcheries sell Production Breeds.

Chris

A Rhode Island Red is a production breed which is not necessarily the same as what some hatcheries are selling as Production Reds. The American commercial chicken industry was built on about five breeds of chickens and the Rhode Island Red was one of them. They were produced in the millions of birds before the industry went over to more profitable hybrids. They had standards of growth rate, fleshing, and rate of lay. With all due respect to the ALBC the commercial industry that made Rhode Island Reds famous parted company with the APA many decades ago because they emphasize different qualities. One judges (and gives ribbons) for cosmetic qualities and the other bought millions of birds based on their practical qualities that made them profitable.

I see a lot of very pretty Rhode Island Reds when I go the shows, some of them quite large birds. But when I ask the owners how many eggs the hens laid last year they start to mumble. I collect commercial poultry books from the thirties, forties, and fifties when grass raised was still the commercial norm. Rhode Island Reds get talked about a lot because they were one of the mainstay breeds of the day. I'd really love to find some of those birds. It's for sure that I haven't been able to find a commercial hatchery that can consistently supply them. Got some good girds once. The birds I ordered from that same hatchery the next year were awful. If there's a small breeder out there producing birds that can match the commercial qualities of those birds from sixty to eighty years ago I'd love to find them. I don't care if they are show quality or not.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Need a better picture but I don't think that bird is what the breeder clams it to be...

Chris

I'm no expert but when I picked the birds up that was the only breed she had & she had quite a few. Why would she tell me that ?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Need a better picture but I don't think that bird is what the breeder clams it to be...

Chris

I'm no expert but when I picked the birds up that was the only breed she had & she had quite a few. Why would she tell me that ?

Your bird looks very much like a Production/ Hatchery type bird..

Chris

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I'm no expert but when I picked the birds up that was the only breed she had & she had quite a few. Why would she tell me that ?

Your bird looks very much like a Production/ Hatchery type bird..

Chris

As stated I got them from a breeder not a hatchery. Your simply going by the color . I'm by far no expert but I will say my birds have been getting darker since I got them. What ever that means I took one more photo.

 

[punky rooster]

the breeder's stock could have come from a hatchery

we must see a better pics

 

[kristen2678]

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Good one! Get the Nitro!!

 

[7L Farm]

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Theirs a picture of the bird .

 

[Robert Blosl]

If you want eggs lots of them order 25 chicks from Mr. Fox at Ideal Hatchery. He has a ad on this site I think. These babies will give you eggs almost every day untill they molt. You may have a few that will have blow outs as their guts cant take the high egg production but thats ok. You can eat them. Those dark Rhode Island Reds that you are talking about from the 1950s that Harlold Tompkins use to have are not around any more. Hope this helps you. Any other good hatcheries out there that sells produciton reds that lay good? Thanks Joe for the heads up message about Mr. Fox. He also has good Buff Brahma bantams. Bill Bowman line.bob

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
Your bird looks very much like a Production/ Hatchery type bird..

Chris

As stated I got them from a breeder not a hatchery. Your simply going by the color . I'm by far no expert but I will say my birds have been getting darker since I got them. What ever that means I took one more photo.https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/63768_pa190090.jpg

So far we have had a good discussion regarding heritage Rhode Island reds on this thread, you have stated you are far from an expert, but when experts tell you (and there are some very certifiable experts telling you that you have a classic production bird and you choose to disagree? This is one of the reasons we struggle some times to get the experts to come to this site, the dont like having years and years of experience discounted by an admitted beginner. What is your purpose for maintaining your stance? Now I need Nitro and have a heart of iron.

Edited to add: Not so long ago we had a person on this very site putting eggs on auction that she declared were heritage reds. It took nearly an army of us to let her know otherwise she finally took the birds down. Just becaus someone tells you soemthing does not make it the truth.

I spent 65 dollars apiece for some greylap toulouse goslings plus shipping, guess what its not what they are live and learn.